Regulating-socket for incandescent lamps



no Model.)

A. B. HENDRICKS.

REGULATING SOGKETPORINGANDBSGBNT LAMPS.

No; 553,911. Patented Feb. 4, 1896.

INVENTOR, AZ vz'n liflnzzrzczm Y.

B TTORNE 1 7 WITNESSES:

AN DREW BGRAHANL FHDTO'UTHQWASHINGTOND C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVIN I3. HENDRICKS, OF ST. MARYTS, ILLINOIS.

REGULATING-SQCKET FOR INCANDESCENT LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,911, dated February 4, 1896.

Application filed e 19,1895. Serial No. 553,364. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it Duly concern.-

Be it known that I, ALVIN B. HENDRICKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. hIarys, in the county of Hancock and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Regulating-Sockets for Incandescent Lamps; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates generally to an improvement in rheostats, but more particularly to regulating-sockets for incandescent and other electric lamps.

The object of the invention is to regulate the intensity of an incandescent electric lamp by providing a device by means of which the amount of resistance thrown into or out of a circuit, and consequently the intensity of the lamp or lamps in the circuit, may be varied at will.

The invention relates to the particular form of mechanism by means of which this end is accomplished.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the device complete. Fig. 2 is a view of the interior operating parts, the side of the casing being removed. Fig. 3 is a detail end view of one of the resistancespools. Fig. 4: is a side View of the hub to whichthe radially-extending spindle is secured at its inner end, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the insulating-disks which are interposed between the spool of the resistanceavire and the contact-button at the outer end thereof.

Like letters of reference in the several figures of the drawings refer to identical parts.

The letter A indicates the casing, which may be of any desired size. The preferred form, as shown in the drawings,is disk-shaped. Piercing the casing centrally and transversely is the shaft B, provided with the crank-handle C for convenience in turnin Secured upo n the shaft within the casing is a block or hub D, of fiber or other insulating material, having faces corresponding with the number of resistance-coils to be used. In the drawings eight coils, made preferably of German silver, are shown secured one upon each face, but the number may vary as circumstances require.

The coils or spools E E are each mounted upon a radially-extending spindle F, secured at one end in the hub and suitably insulated so that it will have no contact with the resistance-wire which is wound around it. Caps or contact-plates G, preferably of copper, serve to hold the coils upon the spindles. A sheet of mica, fiber, or other insulator g is interposed between the wire of each coil and its contact-plates, so that the end of the wire of each coil piercing the insulating-sheet has electrical connection with its contact-plate at but one point g, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Opposite coils are connected through the hub D, as shown in Fig. 2.

The line-wires II H enter through the dome a and the positive wire II is suitably connected with the spring-finger I, secured at one end to the casin g, from which it is insulated by the block i. The fingers are so arranged that their free ends make contact with the contact-plates of opposite coils at opposite points, so that the current entering on the positive wire II passes through the finger I, the adjacent coil E, the connecting-wire J, the coil E, the finger l, and into the lamp, passing out directly through the negative con ductor II. A suitable socket K is secured to the casin g to receive the stem of the lamp.

Opposite coils are preferably, though not necessarily, of the same, or substantially the same, resistance, but each opposite pair varies from the others in the amount of resistance it offers, from which it will be readily seen that by operating the crank-handle to introduce .the different pairs of coils into the circuit any .ing coils of varying resistances, Ztlltl station ary eoi'ituet-lingers arranged to close the elr eult successively through the resistmieewoils as they are revolved.

2. The herein-descrl'bed regulator for elec tric lznnps, do, consisting ol. a casing provided with it socket to reeeive thelmnp, a hub journnled within the casing, radially-extending resistnn ce-eoils,stationary contact-lingers arranged to close the eireuit when brought into contact with the resistance-coils by the revolution of the hub, suhstznltinllv as described.

The herein-deseribed regulator for elee trie lumps, &e., consisting of t easing provided with :1 socket to receive the lump, u revoluhle hul) journnled within the casing radinllyextending spindles secured. to the huh, resistmiee-eoils secured upon the spindles, eontnctplntes in eleetrienl connection with the cells, and stutlmuurv eonluetllngers urrzing'ed to close the circuit through one or more of the resistmree-eoils, substantially as described.

4. The lierein-deserihed regulator l'or elem trie lumps consisting of :1 easing provided with u socket to receive the lzunp, :i :revoluhle huh oil? insulating nui'te'rial journaled within the easing, u series ol. radial]y-extending spindles secured to the hub, resistunee-eoils arranged upon the spindles, contuet- 'ilutes also seeured upon the spindlesbutinsulztted there- 'll'Olll and in electrical connection with the respeetive coils, and stationary eontaet-lingers arranged within the casing to close the eireu it successively through the coils as the hub is revolved substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I illllX my signut ure in presence of. two "witnesses.

ALVIN l3. ll'lflNl'YltltlliH.

W i ti losses: 

